I Do Believe
by suckr4romance
Summary: HBP SPOILERS! A tale of Hufflepuff romance, one concerning Susan Bones and Justin FinchFletchley. It’s witty, it’s romantic, and it’s Hufflepuff! What more could you ever seek? OneShot.


A/N: Written in response to Mugglenet's Winter Snows **Challenge Three: A Kiss for the Ages**.

HBP SPOILERS! A tale of Hufflepuff romance, one concerning Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley. It's witty, it's romantic, and it's Hufflepuff! What more could you ever seek?

* * *

**I Do Believe**

A Susan/Justin One-Shot by Christine (suckr4romance)

* * *

Susan Bones glanced around the Great Hall over her copy of the morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ as she sat at the Hufflepuff table. It just wasn't the same. Oh, the decorations were up. They hadn't changed in the slightest. There were incredibly tall Christmas trees lined up against the walls. Even the charmed fairy lights fluttered here and there as they did every year.

But looks had nothing to do with it. The one thing that made all the difference in the world was the atmosphere. It was neither cheery nor exciting. This feeling—and Susan was experiencing it full blast—was one of foreboding.

Of course, she'd had past instances of the horrible sentiment. Just last year, when her Aunt Amelia had died… Susan shuddered. That occurrence had been the first sign that the worst was yet to come. She had believed Harry Potter's story from the beginning—that You-Know-Who had come back—unlike many of her classmates.

Now, though, Harry and his friends were off doing Merlin-knows what, hunting down the very Dark wizard who was causing turmoil in their world—or so was the rumor around school. Ginny Weasley had returned to school for the first term, but had refused to divulge any information to anyone. And rightfully so, Susan wagered.

Susan was one of the two Hufflepuff seventh years to reside at Hogwarts for the holiday break. The only other one who had opted to stay was Justin Finch-Fletchley.

A blush crept up Susan's cheeks. It truly was amazing now something as simple as a crush could make her nervous in times like these. Oh, boy, did she fancy Justin… She had liked him since first year, and she did believe he still had no clue, or he wasn't interested. No couple was worse than Ron and Hermione, but she and Justin were a close second…in their own way. And now that those two had left…well, Susan's feelings for Justin were quite obvious.

She had cried when he was petrified in second year. And her tears did not fall unnoticed—Hannah Abbott comforted her, and nothing worked. Who was to say something like that, or something worse, wouldn't happen again? She would never forgive herself for not telling him if it did. For the next few moments, Susan immersed herself in the _Prophet_.

"Susan!"

She looked up, and—speak of the devil—there he was, in all his Muggle-dressed glory.

"Hey, Justin," Susan said, motioning for him to sit next to her. "Where've you been?"

"Around," he replied enigmatically. He began serving himself some bacon and eggs. "Actually," Justin continued after a small bout of consideration. "I was doing some research on Memory Charms for Flitwick." Justin noticed the newspaper in front of Susan. "So…anyone today?"

This had become a trend between the two in the past year. One of them would have a copy of the Prophet, and the other would, somewhat casually, inquire the other of the day's obituaries.

"Actually," Susan said in a surprised voice, "they have found Minister Scrimgeour's body…dead." The Minister for Magic had disappeared approximately five months previously.

"Really? Where?"

"In some sort of cavern along the southern coast of Scotland," Susan informed him.

"Wow," Justin marveled. "They're dropping like flies over at the Ministry, aren't they?"

"I suppose after Dolores Umbridge disappeared this summer and was found dead in a Welsh centaur forest…who _knows_ what to think?"

"I think it's stupid," Justin spat, "that even the Ministry's falling apart at a time like this."

"Oh, they've _been_ falling apart," Susan assured him. "First, Fudge didn't want to accept You-Know-Who's return, and then Scrimgeour allowed so much to unfold without taking action, even though he's known for that. The Ministry has been corrupt for a long while."

Justin sighed. "I guess…so, what are you getting me for Christmas?"

"You're horrible, you know that?" When he showed indifference to this remark, she went on to say, "You wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would you?"

He pouted humorously. "Always surprises with you, Susan Bones."

"Of course," Susan agreed. "I like to keep you guessing."

"Sure." Justin rolled his eyes. "Let's go to the common room, if you're done tormenting me."

Susan giggled. "All right."

* * *

Justin and Susan reached the Hufflepuff common room just as a fifth year prefect was exiting it.

"The new password's 'True Faith,'" she told them.

"Thanks, Tracey," Susan acknowledged the girl in gratitude.

"So," Justin said after he and Susan had entered the room, dumped their stuff onto an empty table, and seated themselves on either end of a sofa, facing each other. "Where do you reckon Harry, Ron, and Hermione are?"

"Probably far away," she speculated. "Or close by…"

"Make up your mind!" Justin joked.

She playfully swatted his arm. "Well, if you wanted a direct answer, I honestly can't give you one. Nobody seems to have a clue as to what they're doing."

"What about Ginny Weasley?" Justin asked. "Aren't she and Harry a couple?"

Susan rolled her eyes in disbelief of Justin's thickness. "Not anymore. You hadn't heard?"

"No," Justin shook head. "What, was I supposed to hear it through the Hogwarts grapevine?"

"Something like that."

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Justin liked these comfortable quiets he would have with Susan. They said more than actual conversation could ever convey. Yes, they were great friends.

He would miss her so much if it ended, as many great things always do. Justin still felt nearly an outsider to the world he had joined six years previously. The war was affecting him, he suppoed, in some ways more than others.

Through Susan he experienced the heartache the war brought on. She had lost most of her family to You-Know-Who before his initial downfall, but who knew how many more she would lose this time around? What if the next of her family to go were her?

Justin shuddered at the thought.

Susan raised a questioning brow at him. "You cold?"

"Er…yeah," he answered, the image of snuggling with her coming to mind.

"Okay, let's move closer…" Susan said. "…To the fire," she added teasingly.

"Miss Bones, I do believe you're mocking me," said Justin, feigning hurt by laying a hand over his heart. He rose from his seat, and she mirrored the action.

"I do believe you're quite pathetic," she countered.

Oh, yes, they were indeed flirting with each other. Merlin knew how often they did that…though, what with the war, their playful banter had been downsized considerably.

"I do believe you read the Prophet too much," he continued their silly game.

"I do believe you think too much," Susan replied, only vaguely aware that the space between her and Justin was quickly growing smaller.

"I do believe you're right about that," Justin agreed, avoiding her gaze. "But it's hard not to wonder what every day of the war will bring."

They were a meter apart now, and still advancing.

"I've learned," Susan told him, "that there's no way to know what the future holds. So," she swallowed, "we need to live life to the fullest as best we can 'til the end comes, and in the meantime fight for what's right."

One foot.

"Together, through thick and thin," Justin added, nearly closing the space between them. He looked down at Susan in a manner she could only identify as loving.

"I do believe you're going to kiss me now," Susan whispered, her breath tickling his lips.

And then he—JUSTIN!—of all people leaned down and kissed her with so much meaning a thousand words could not have done as much. Yes—meaningful—that was the only way to describe it. Susan's eyes rolled back in pleasure—her silent expression of 'finally.'

Neither of them wanted to stop, caught up in their own time warp. Susan would kiss Justin back fervently, and he would deepen the kiss farther than the ends of the universe. Eventually, though, the two had to break apart, gasping for air.

"That…was…" Susan breathed, trying and failing to find a single word for what had just occurred. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and was quite set on keeping them there.

"It was bloody amazing, that's what it was," Justin chuckled, cupping her face in his large hands.

Susan laughed with Justin. This was surreal—everything she had hoped for ages was coming true.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this to happen," Justin muttered, leaning his forehead on hers.

"Oh, I've a good idea," she replied truthfully. "I'm just so glad we didn't put it off until it was too—"

She broke off as Justin's facial expression grew somber.

"It's not fair," he said slowly, "that we must live in this time of war—that the thought of anything being too late should even cross our minds. But it has crossed mine before, I reckon."

"No, it's not fair," Susan consented. "But the fact stands that we must. I'm willing to face it all, Justin," she continued, tears in her eyes. "I just hope you'll be at my side as I do."

Justin wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He gazed at Susan with a determined gleam in his blue orbs, giving her the positively spine-chilling answer she wanted.

"I do believe," Justin said huskily, after a minute, "that we should pick up where we left off."

He leant down once more, and they did just as he suggested.


End file.
